Steps on the Road
by Mememe
Summary: Not everybody can change the world. Not everybody can be a hero. But everyone has a story to tell, big or small. This is Kahli's. *Finished*
1. Author's Note

Author's Note:  
  
Finally finished! Yes, I know there are tons of gaping plotholes in this, and maybe someday I'll go back and really do a fixer-upper on the entire thing. But for now I'm just thankful. This is the first story I've ever managed to finish! So if you would, I'd love to hear what everyone thinks. Please review! Anything and everything would be great, whether you liked it or not. Just remember that none of it was beta read, so be kind, perhaps?  
  
And I'd just like to say a special thanks to Finrod Felagund, who reviewed every single chapter as it was done. Thank you so much! I appreciate it big time! Also, thanks to you other guys who reviewed. It means a lot to me.  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:  
  
Well, if this isn't obvious enough, I don't own any of Tolkien's stuff. Namely Middle-earth, since I don't really mention much of his characters. The folks in this story are mine, although I'm pretty sure you all could figure that out. And I'm also pretty sure no one cares, but hey. Better safe than sorry. That's all.  
  
  
  
Note:  
  
(Okay, since I did a quick edit on the entire story, I decided to put this note up here, instead of in the chapters.)  
  
  
  
I poured over as much as I could find about Dwarves before I started this. Lemme tell ya, there ain't much. But from what I got, we understand that dwarf women look a lot like the men. So much so, that most folks couldn't tell the difference. And a lot of people assume that this means they have beards, just like the men. Okay, well, here's the way I look at it. (And I'm probably way off from how Tolkien imagined it, but just bear with me, please?)  
  
The men, fully grown and all, have your usual beards, right? Right. Okay, but you're not just born with a beard. So, I'm going to say that (and I got this from The Hobbit) the longer a dwarf's beard is, the older and therefore wiser they are. It'd be a complement.  
  
Young dwarves, like Oror, would have small, just beginning beards. Much like us, it'd start as peachfuzz, grow to stubble and just keep on going as they got older. No real cutting happened, because long beards are good. A trim or two, just to keep it neat, but the longer the better here.  
  
As for the women, I just couldn't picture them with beards. I know, I know. But I couldn't. The way I see it, female dwarves look EXACTLY like young male dwarves. They're short, stocky, muscular and have the same wild, tangly, wiry hair. They do tend to be slightly smaller, but only by a little bit. And only when younger. As they age they would, obviously, gain weight. Some, like (hee hee) old ladies, would start to grow more facial hair and even beards. But that would be as they hit their later years. In dress, though, the females would appear exactly like the males. If you saw a train of dwarves going by, you more than likely wouldn't be able to tell them apart. Even if they didn't have faces covered, the females would simply look like younger male dwarves to most observers.  
  
I hope this isn't far-fetched and too far-off. I've sorta have to improvise, since people don't really seem to like the dwarves and not much has been written about them. Especially the females.  
  
  
  
A/N:  
  
Anyway, that's all the blabber I've got. Don't let this scare you off! On with the story! 


	2. Chpt 1: A Demon Named Kazor

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"Up you lazy slugabeds! The day won't linger!" The familiar shout broke the silence of the sleeping camp. Another morning started, with the usual hurried bustle. Amidst grumbles, grunts, and half-hearted curses the dwarven trading caravan roused itself from sleep and prepared for the breaking of camp.  
  
Another day faced them. The routine of packing, plodding, halting, and collapsing. It was wearying. Dull. Repetitive. But it was their lot in life, and despite their usual gruff boredom they enjoyed it. Occasional celebrations, trading stops, and other rare variations kept things bariable if not even somewhat interesting. Life on the road had its perks as well. While it was far from thrilling at times they did have a nice change of scenery everyday. Not often did they remain in one place for long and their travels took them far. In just that, they had what many desired.  
  
Just the same, it was easy enough to get bored. Sometimes the days dragged out too long and too dull. Of course, it was always at these times when one felt the worse for wear that the excitement did present itself. But first boredom had to reach its peak, and by then things looked like they would never brighten up.  
  
This was exactly how Kahli felt this morning.  
  
"Come on you! Get going!" rumbled the snow-bearded leader of the caravan in his usual gruff, good-natured way.  
  
The caravan's leader. Otherwise known as Kahli's father.  
  
The young dwarf he spoke to grumbled something angrily at the elder and rolled over, pulling the thick blankets closer. "The ponies need feeding and bridling. The group won't wait. Get about your duties!" Old Nahli's only response was a loud snore from the pile of blankets. He sighed, rolled his eyes and delivered a swift kick to the lump. Abruptly the snoring ceased, replaced by a sharp yelp of pain.  
  
"Ow! Stop, stop! I'm up! Lemme be!" wailed the now lurching bundle. After quite a struggle, the occupant of the bed managed to free both hands from the tangle and wiggle out of the twisted blankets with no little amount of grunting and cursing. A head of wiry, onyx-colored hair poked from the mass of thick cloth, both hands working to move the mess out of their owner's face. Dark brown eyes glinted as the dwarf's deft fingers began to works out the snarls and swiftly braid down the course hair. "There, I'm up. Happy?" Kahli snapped, mouth moving nearly as fast as her fingers. Her father's face betrayed his amusement at her behavior, as did the chuckle in his voice when he spoke.  
  
"Very." He nodded shortly to her, grey beard bobbing. "Hurry with the ponies this morning. I want an early start if we can." With that he turned and strode away to supervise the rest of the camp as it packed up for the morning, trusting her to get ready. His daughter sighed grumpily to herself as she watched him go, but quickly finished fixing her hair into the usual collection of tight braids. She didn't bother to tie them; the coarseness of her hair and the tightness of the braids allowed them to hold without any sort of band or tie. Lucky thing, too. Less work.  
  
Hair relatively tamed, the female dwarf proceeded to gather her things. Her bedding was tackled briskly, blankets shaken out and folded into small bundles, then stuffed into her bag. Truthfully she owned very little while traveling, so cleaning up her sleeping area only took a few short minutes.  
  
A dark blue hooded cloak was snatched up and carelessly tossed over her clothes, pushed back and hood down for the moment. It was a custom of the dwarf-women to dress exactly like the men when out in the world. Strange it seemed to most not of dwarvish kind, but it was their way, as were many other things outsiders didn't understand. Something that never ceased to amuse her was the tales told, mainly by Men, of how dwarves supposedly "grew out of stone" since there were no females of their kind. This, of course, was hardly the truth. There were dwarf-women, like herself, but their number was few; only about one-third of the entire race. When the women were seen by outsiders, a rare occurrence to be sure, they appeared so much like the men that few ever really realized it was a woman they saw.  
  
No sooner was she packed and ready to begin the real work of another day, a shout came from the edge of the camp and made her stop. "Hey! Will you hurry up and get over here? You always make me do all the work!"  
  
Kahli couldn't help it. Despite her annoyance at the morning so far, a small grin worked its way out as she yelled back, "Oh, sod off, Oror! Admit you can't handle those ponies without me and maybe I'll move a little faster!" Cheerful low laugher was her only reply and the dwarf shook her head, chuckling softly to herself. She picked up her bag and tossed it over her shoulder, striding across the camp toward the area where the caravan's ponies were tied. With experienced ease she dodged still sleeping dwarves, bags, carts, packages, crates and multiple other things, finding Oror busily fitting one of many bridles on a short grey pony.  
  
"Deliver or harness?" he asked quickly, not bothering to look up from his work. An easy job, she noted with a smirk. This pony was old Gormon's and a gentler, more obedient creature couldn't be found. Figures he would leave the troublesome ones to her.  
  
"Harness." This response had come to be expected since it was what she always replied. Yet another of the many things that just never changed. How dull it was.  
  
Oror bobbed his head once, copper-colored beard wagging with the movement. He finished buckling the bridle, saddled the grey, and led it off across camp to its owner. Kahli watched for a short moment or two, then hastily turned and got to work, knowing when he came back he'd be ready to deliver more of the beasts to their places of need. Her dark eyes scanned the area where dozens of ponies were picketed, finally coming to rest on one, a completely black creature with a nasty glint in his eyes. Kazor. The most spirited of the bunch. And the most bothersome to get ready. There was a long moment of hesitation before she sighed and headed cautiously over, movements slow and careful so as not to startle him. Worse than usual, at least. Might as well get it over with.  
  
The obstinate animal raised his head as she approached, heavy forelock falling into his eyes and managing to complete the look of roguishness. Everything about the way he stood, watched her, flicked his ears, stomped a foot, everything seemed to dare her to try making him do something he didn't want to. Groaning, the dwarf shook her head, trying to clear all the embarrassing, painful and unforgettable experiences this blasted creature managed to put her through. It was just yesterday he completely refused to be bridled by her, knocking her over and tearing off through the camp to his master, the one person who could handle him properly. And, to make matters worse, his master was the leader of the caravan itself. Her father. How completely stupid she had felt! The one task he had appointed her to do, for the good of the entire group, she had managed to fail. One morning would have been bad enough, but it had been every morning. A horse, a single horse. No, not even that. A pony. She couldn't even handle that. Yet one more dull challenge in life. But… well, this morning she wasn't up for it. If nothing was going to change on its own, why couldn't she change things?  
  
"Look," Kahli sighed, looking the beast in the eye. "You've bullied me long enough. But I'm not in the mood for it today, so come along quietly or else." Exactly what the 'or else' was she had no idea. But it sounded good. At least, it did to her.  
  
Kazor on the other hand, wouldn't be so easily convinced. The black pony snorted at her words and tossed his head, once more daring her to call her bluff. 'Go on, then!' he almost seemed to taunt. 'You just try it. Go on!'  
  
"I will!" she retorted, not bothering with what others might think if they saw her talking to a horse. Angrily she whirled about, marching over to the pile of saddles and bridles. Kazor's own equipment was gathered, bridle and saddle both decorated lavishly with gold, silver, and gems, loudly pronouncing the importance of both steed and rider. Though the tack was heavy, the muscular dwarf-girl easily managed the weight, stomping back over to the black pony to face him once more. The saddle was promptly dropped at the base of a tree, but she held onto the headstall of the bridle, reins slung across her shoulder with her cloak, keeping both out of the way. "Right then. Are you going to make this hard or easy?"  
  
Again the stallion snorted, tossing his head. His eyes watched her closely to see what she would do as he danced in place, hooves drumming on the ground as he threatened to dash to the other end of his line if she came too close. Pure defiance was in his every moment. Kahli sighed again.  
  
"Fine. We'll do it the hard way." Determination enough to match his defiance, she took a step forward, hardly surprised when the dark pony turned-tail and fled to the other end of the line that tied him. But she hadn't been moving towards him, she had been moving toward the end of the line, where it was tied to a stake driven far into the ground. Slinging the bridle she carried across her shoulder, she reached down and untied the rope, hanging onto it with a deathgrip once it was free. "Now," she began tersely, "we're going to do this right for once. You're not going to make a fool out of me today you evil beast." Even as she spoke the line was slowly being drawn in. Her movement might not have been graceful, dwarves could never be so even if they tried, but they were cautious and slow. When one worked with precious gems and metals each move had to be precise and deliberate. Now this skill came in handy.  
  
Much to her surprise Kazor didn't move a muscle. His dancing abruptly halted, though he continued to watch her carefully. She kept talking, low voice softer than usual in a sort of droning monotone. What exactly she was saying, in truth, she had no idea. But it seemed to be working, nonetheless. The usually wild pony seemed almost hypnotized.  
  
Step by step, minute by minute she edged closer, slowly closing the gap between herself and the animal. Her voice droned on, time seemed to stretch out, every movement was in slow motion. And suddenly she was there, no more than a foot from the pony's velvety dark nose. She froze, still murmuring to him, the shortened line held so tightly in her callused hands that they began to cramp and ache. Neither moved. Long moments passed, dragged on.  
  
Finally Kahli forced herself to take one hand off the lead line and slowly grasp the bridle on her shoulder. Carefully, cautiously, she slid it off and held it mid-air. Kazor snorted and stomped a foot. Both froze again, studying each other. The dwarf took a deep, silent breath and shifted the line in her hands. Then she dropped it onto the grass.  
  
Nothing happened. Another minute passed. Still nothing. Shocked but pleased, a very faint smile began to appear on her face. The bridle was taken in both hands. Again, no movement from Kazor other than another snort and a little flick of his ears. Her senseless words kept coming, more like a chant now, hypnotizing both of them. Intently she moved again, bringing the bridle closer to the black pony's nose. The back of her hands brushed his velvet muzzle firmly, letting him know she was there so as not to startle him with the leather. A shudder ran through the muscular animal at her touch, but he remained still, dark eyes still fixed on her. And then, before she could think about what she was doing, Kahli had leaned forward and slipped the bridle around Kazor's nose, up behind his ears and had it buckled. Then she stepped back, gripping the dangling reins.  
  
The pony shook his head at the feeling and snorted once more, stomping a hind foot. But, unlike so many other times, he didn't try to break away. His ears twitched back, flicked forward. Where flat defiance had once been there now was wry amusement, toleration. Like an older child who indulges overblown threats from a cocky youngster. If she was that determined, he would allow it. Not exactly willingly, but he would, just the same.  
  
It took a few minutes for all this to register in Kahli's mind. Time had been moving so slowly it took a few minutes to catch up. And then it hit her. Hard. She'd done it. She had finally managed to do what her father had done, prove herself. The breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding escaped her in a whoosh of relief. Perhaps today was different after all…  
  
In what seemed no time at all Kazor was saddled as well. As strange as it seemed, the time she had spent coaxing the pony to accept her was rather short. When Oror finally returned from his errand he found her standing by a tree, stroking the beast's nose and talking quietly to him. And, much to his shock, the creature was fully tacked up. What exactly had come to pass while he was away, he hadn't the foggiest. But it have obviously been quite a bit.  
  
"How…" he started, once he had managed to get his voice working again. Then he promptly gave up on that comment and tried again. "Did… did someone help you?" Kahli looked up from the conversation she was having with the devil- horse and grinned at him.  
  
"Help me?" she replied innocently, her brown eyes sparkling with mischief. "Help me with what?" The other dwarf shook his head and chuckled as he started off to fetch another pony from its line.  
  
"Never ceases to amaze me," was all he muttered in reply, busying himself with untying a bay filly before looking up at his friend with a smile. "Well, go on then. Seems you've managed to control that beast better than any. Save your father, of course. You'd better take him where he's gotta go. Don't know how well he'd take to me."  
  
The simple fact that Oror had actually admitted (however subtly) that she could do something better than he could, or had accomplished something he hadn't, was enough to make Kahli puff up with pride. She had done it. On her own.  
  
Practically skipping through the camp, she led Kazor proudly up to her father. With an added flourish she presented him with the diamond-studded reins, grinning at the shock that was only partially hidden on his face. The expressions on his companions' faces were even more amusing.  
  
"Ah, very good!" Nahli managed to get out, desperately trying to compose himself as the leader of the traders' camp. He took the reins offered to him and nodded, keeping his face neutral. "Well, go on, then! Get the others their ponies!" The dismissal was gruff, as usual, but the old dwarf's emotions were betrayed in his black eyes, nearly hidden beneath bushy silver brows. They shone with a merry pride, a smile far more fulfilling than most. If she had felt proud before, now she was bursting.  
  
"Righto, sir!" she barked in reply to her order, grinning one more time at those nearby before whirling about and running off to finish the morning's work. Unsurprisingly enough, the work left to be done was nothing compared to that which had been gotten done with. Again she swapped places with Oror, tacking up ponies or harnessing them up to carts as fast as her friend could lead them off to their respective place in the caravan.  
  
Before long the day was officially started. Everyone was up, early jobs, such as packing, cooking and cleaning were completed and the group was scurrying into line. A chunk of bread in one hand and a piece of meat in the other, Nahli dashed about the camp, waving his arms and shouting at people do to this or do that, move here or get away from there. The last few dwarves completed various tasks and hurried into line, Kahli among them. Her own young pony, Copp his name was, shifted anxiously under her. At her side was her father, mounted up on Kazor, still yelling orders at those behind him. Everything was ready.  
  
Finally satisfied, Nahli nudged his mount forward. "Move out!" he called loudly, voice ringing through the trees. Like some strange giant creature, the caravan heaved itself up and began to plod steadily forward to face the day.  
  
Copp jogging excitedly ahead, Kahli felt her heart sink a little. Already the pride her morning's accomplishments were fading. And another day loomed ahead. She tried to push away the feeling that this was life, dull and relatively unchanging, but it hung heavy on her. Things would never change. Not enough to please her, anyway.  
  
"Keep an eye out, daughter," the gruff voice of her father broke her thoughts. He turned to her with a nod, pointing ahead into the wild. "Can't let yourself ever lose your guard. Never know what a day'll bring, or what you'll find in your journeys. Every day's a little different, but you have to stay alert or you'll miss things."  
  
Abruptly she looked up, startled by these words. Had he somehow known her thoughts? But already he had turned away, striking up a tense conversation with a nearby companion. Maybe he hadn't. Maybe he had. With her father, you never knew.  
  
She sighed quietly to herself and yet couldn't hold back the little smile that formed. If they held meaning or not, her father's words were true. What lay down the road for any of them? Only time would tell.  
  
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	3. Chpt 2: The Raid

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As usual, the morning was uneventful. They had been traveling several hours now and the vigor they had started the day off with was quickly wearing away as the steady rhythm of travel took over.  
  
Boring, boring, boring. Kahli yawned, jaw stretching and eyes closing with the force of it. A sudden shout of, "Duck!" made her startle to alertness, just in time to see the branch directly in front of her. Too late she tried to dodge, and the thick limb connected with her forehead, knocking her back in her saddle. Hard.  
  
"Ouch!" she yelped before she could stop herself. "Oh…" Dazed, she reached forward to grip the saddle-horn and pull herself forward again. "That felt lovely." she sighed, seeing stars. Kahli moved a hand up to her forehead, trying vainly to rub the throbbing pain away. It slowly subsided, but the splitting she now felt from inside her skull gave away that the morning would be spent with a headache.  
  
'…you have to stay alert or you'll miss things…' Her father's words echoed annoyingly. "That's not what he meant," she muttered to herself irritably, glaring down at her pony's mane. Somehow, neither made her feel better. The pounding in her head grew steady, alternating with the hoofbeats of her mount.  
  
The energy Copp had started out with had faded long ago, and the little copper-colored pony was lagging with the elders, head bobbing slightly with each plodding step. Ever on went the road, stretching out mile upon mile before them. In the sky the sun shone weakly through the grey-tinted clouds and the air held a very slight nip of cold, enough to make the dwarves pull their cloaks tight about them to keep it out. Not a breath of air was about, a thankful thing for the temperature, and the birds in the steadily thickening forest sang their respective songs blissfully.  
  
Slowly the day dragged on, the sun rising higher into the sky behind its cloudy cover. Midday approached and the caravan of traders began to look for their noontime stop. Unfortunately this only served to make things drag out longer, each minute of waiting becoming more like an hour. Finally, weary of the boredom on the trail, someone from the back of the line began to hum an old journey tune. Gradually, people around him started to hum along. The sound swelled and became louder as yet another person got up the courage to sing the words. Voices joined in and in a matter of minutes the larger percent of the group was singing raucously, laughing and swaying in their saddles as though they were sitting around, completely drunk, in a bar rather than on a pony.  
  
Sensing their riders' spirits lifted, the ponies also began to perk up, pricking their ears at the noise, lifted their heads and picked up their pace, trotting along more eagerly than they had started.  
  
From the back of the caravan Nahli chuckled to himself.  
  
  
  
()()()()()()()()()  
  
  
  
Song after song followed the first, each growing louder in volume and ruder in content. But the hearts of the group were lightened and in only a short time, or so it seemed, the lunch break had arrived. A shout rang out above the thunderous singing and the caravan's leader called an abrupt but much welcomed halt. Instantly the plodding ceased and chaos ensued. Like a poked beehive the dwarves swarmed about, tying up ponies, unpacking food, setting up areas to eat and wandering about to find specific companions to spend the hour with.  
  
Among them was Kahli, leading her pony through the milling crowd. As usual her father had gone from the head of the line to somewhere, she was never sure exactly, in the line. She found herself sighing heavily, shoulders slumping. "Guess I gotta work for my supper, don't I?" was muttered to Copp, who had bumped her shoulder with his muzzle when her pace slowed. The only reply she received was a little swivel of ears and a blink. "Yup. C'mon." Smiling wryly at him, she turned and started off again. Only to promptly run into a snow-white beard. "Oof!" she grunted, stumbling backwards in surprise. A strong hand caught her arm to keep her from falling and merry black eyes sparkled at her from beneath bushy eyebrows.  
  
"Being a little careless, are we?" her father chuckled. When the younger dwarf finally managed to regain her balance, she blinked at him in disbelief. How had he gotten there all of a sudden? She could have sworn he hadn't been there about ten seconds ago when she had turned around to look at Copp. From what she had seen he hadn't even been nearby!  
  
"I… uh…" Confused, but rather used to her father's occasional strangeness, she grinned lop-sidedly at him. "I must've been. No other way I could've run into you, normally can see you comin' a way's away." Her mild tease about the older, quite sturdy dwarf earned her a mock scold.  
  
"Youngsters these days. No respect, I tell you," Nahli shook his head gravely, though the look in his eyes gave away the act. "You better well respect the one who has all the food!" The sack that hung at his side was patted pointedly. "If you don't want to go hungry, that is." That was quite enough. At the mention of food Kahli lost all interest in teasing and her eyes were immediately glued to the bag. Her father saw this immediately and any attempt to stay serious was dropped when he laughed. "Go tie your pony next to Kazor and meet me there," He pointed to more secluded tree, away from the bustle.  
  
"Yessir!" Kahli answered eagerly, nodding her head and whirling about in the same movement. Poor Copp was nearly dragged to the stake where her father's large black pony was tied. With swift skill the knots were tied, his saddle removed and his sweaty coat rubbed down. Then she waited to see he was quietly grazing alongside his elder before giving him a fond pat and turning away to join her father for lunch.  
  
The spot selected was as picture perfect as could be found on an overcast day such as this. It was covered with soft green grass and the big tree that Nahli sat against would have provided a wonderful shade on sunny days. She could only guess at how beautiful it was on a nice day, with the sky blue and the sun bright and warm, the air light and the trees swaying in a gentle breeze. As she sank down beside her father and picked up the most bruised apple (and therefore the sweetest) of the bunch, she couldn't help but wish they couldn't remain there for a little while. Not a short rest as in a mere hour break. Awhile as in a few days, a week maybe, until the day she dreamed about came to pass. So she could see it for herself. But, no, she knew well enough that couldn't happen. They were traders and traders with a deadline. The goods they carried had to make it to the next city in a week and a half, and they still had at least a good week's travel to go yet, leaving them few days of leeway, should a setback come upon them. Their pace needed to pick up, if anything. Not slow down.  
  
She leaned back against the rough bark of the tree, closed her eyes, and sighed. What if she got tired of all this? Could she ever leave? Her whole life had been spent on the road, or at least the part she could remember. Yes, in truth she had lived in a quiet village with her mother at one point, though that time was only a vague memory. While she was still very young her mother had died, and there was no choice but for her to travel with her father on his journeys. But, all in all, it hadn't been that bad. She had learned quickly how things worked and before long she was allowed to help out with minor duties. As she grew more responsibility had been given, first with the care of the ponies, aiding their keepers with the work. And then as she reached a more mature age her father had given their care over to both her and Oror. They had, he had told them, proved themselves to be capable of the job and he trusted them as full members of the company. It had been a wonderful day, the one she heard those words.  
  
And yet… she couldn't help but wonder what it would have been like in a village. Watching the seasons pass, constant shelter, far less work…  
  
These thoughts were pushed from her mind sharply. No point in bothering with them, was there? This was life and it wasn't all that bad. At least she got to see far-off places that most didn't, have a place to belong, a set pattern to the day. It was comfortable and she really had no reason to complain.  
  
Satisfied, she opened her eyes again and took a large bite from her apple. The fruit crunched satisfactorily and she smiled to herself around an overly large mouthful. Yes, the day was looking up. They would be arriving in a city soon, after all. That in itself was a pleasant thing to look forward to. Her thoughts turned to the upcoming trading opportunity, wandering off on various things that branched from that. So lost in this did she become, that the droning snore of her father was nearly missed. But an exceptionally loud noise got her attention and she glanced over at the sleeping figure, grinning. She'd let him go for awhile, they still had at least an hour's half until they had to get the band of traders moving again. No point in disturbing his exceptional noise making.  
  
Several minutes passed and three apples, two slices of bread and a sliver of salted meat had been polished off on her part when suddenly something happened. A lone shout, alarmingly louder than the racket of the camp. About two seconds later complete disorder broke out. From somewhere a pony shrieked in fear. The sound of yelling reached her ears, along with the distinct sounds of trouble. No way to describe them, but unmistakable.  
  
Cold fear tightened her chest and she sat motionless for a moment, eyes wide. No. This couldn't be happening. There hadn't been a raid on her father's caravan since… ever. It couldn't happen now. Obviously there was some sort of mistake.  
  
The sound of yelling. It wasn't in their language. Ponies screaming. She knew them. The highest had to be Teiar, the friendly dun mare she liked. And that one was Byi. And Wirke. No.  
  
"Father! Father, something's happening!" Her voice was a hoarse whisper as she urgently shook her father, clutching at his arm. Oh how she wanted to scream right now! But her voice just wouldn't obey. Instead she could only croak, "Father!"  
  
The old dwarf was awake in a moment from her shaking and on his feet with surprising speed. There was a deadly fury in his eyes that had replaced the usual merry sparkle the very instant he realized what was happening. "Stay as far away as you can. Run if you must," he ordered swiftly, already striding forward into the chaotic mess.  
  
"But— "  
  
"Do as I say! Do not follow!"  
  
Horrified, Kahli watched him march across the space separating their tree from the fight that was now full-blown with grim purpose. His hand gripped the hilt of the sword that hung at his hip and he drew it at the edge of the brawl. He hesitated only a moment before joining the fight, mixing with the blur of motion until she could no longer make him out. The commotion was more than she could watch. Dwarves had sprung to protect the goods they carried from the raiders with a ferocity that could have only sprung from anger at having been attacked. As for the attackers, it took a moment for their race to be determined. But, in the end, it was unmistakable. Not orcs, as she had first guessed. Men. The rouges of their civilization, her father had once told her. Not all were like this. Only a few, like these, lusted after the wealth of the traders enough to actually attack them.  
  
Anger welled up in her as she thought these things, suppressing the fear she had previously felt. How dare they do this! Had they no hearts? Her people had traveled hard, journeyed far, come through much and they sought to undo it all so easily? Not if she could help it!  
  
But then the reality hit her. What could she do about it? How would running into the mess, weaponless, to duke it out with them change anything? No, she needed a plan. A way to help out that would be worth something and wouldn't be as foolhardy as trying to take on an entire group of raiders.  
  
Amidst the turmoil the ponies' cries could be heard. And then she realized something. They had been cut loose! In their terror the creatures were only adding to the confusion and succeeding only in making it worse for the dwarves and better for the attackers. No good. On top of that, now that she listened, she heard another sound. One much like barking. A growl started in the back her throat and she narrowed her eyes in anger. They had thought of everything, hadn't they? Dogs. No wonder the ponies sounded so frightened.  
  
These things going through her mind, she deducted quickly. They were either trying to round up and capture the ponies, or, since that would be dreadfully difficult seeing how scared they were, their objective was to drive them away. The latter seemed suspiciously correct when she caught two ponies fleeing into the woods from the corner of her eye.  
  
That settled things. She was set on doing something and here it was, laid out before her. Those ponies were the lifeblood of the caravan. There was a deadline to meet, and without the loyal beasts of burden it would never be met. So she had to go after as many as she could and bring them back.  
  
Nodding resolutely to herself, Kahli took off at a run toward the place Copp had been tied, praying silently to Mahal in hopes that her pony was still there.  
  
  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^ 


	4. Chpt 3: One Good Turn

^^^^^^^^^^  
  
The fight surged, deadly and furious. With loud battlecries the dwarves held their own, fighting to protect their caravan, their livelihood. But the raiders were confident and would not back down, driven by an almost mad desire to claim what wasn't theirs. In and out of this fight Kahli dodged, cloak pulled around her shoulders and hood hanging low to cover her face. She mustn't be seen, she mustn't be seen, she mustn't… The words drummed through her head like a chant, driving her on. Somehow, though in the back of her mind she knew it wasn't true, she felt as though if she could only reach her pony she would be safe. Nothing could happen to her then. Or that was what she tried to believe.  
  
Blindly she stumbled through the confusion, heart pounding against the terror that tightened her chest. No, no, no! How could this have happened? It had to be some sort of horribly real nightmare. It couldn't be real. It couldn't!  
  
"Jus' where d'you think yer goin' in such a hurry?" A rough voice yanked her sharply from her thoughts. So absorbed had she been, she hadn't noticed the burly Man that was suddenly looming before her. He glared down at her, greasy hair falling into his eyes, unkempt beard covering most of his face, clothing little more than filthy rags sewn haphazardly together, yellow teeth bared in a snarl and a grimy hand clutching a poor excuse for a dagger. Startled, she halted and peered up at the stranger from beneath the cover of her hood. "Well?"  
  
Words spilled out in reply before she could stop them, controlled by a mixture of anger and fear. "Let me pass and neither of us will be hurt!" Then she stopped, shocked at how confident her voice had sounded. She certainly didn't feel confident. In fact, now she wasn't so sure that had been the right thing to say, confidant or not. But either way, her delayer wasn't about to be shaken by this, real or feigned. He had come to kill off as many of these filthy hole-diggers as he could and take as much of their wealth as possible. He wasn't about to be intimidated by an especially small one, no matter how big they could talk.  
  
"Don't matter to me either way," the Man grunted, grinning nastily at her. "I ain't the one gonna get 'urt." That said he lunged at her, dagger swinging. Biting back a cry of alarm, Kahli dropped to the ground to avoid the blade's arc. Surprised by this course of action, having expected a dodge to the side rather than a duck, which ultimately trapped her, the raider lost his balance and stumbled forward. In a terrible rush, the dwarf realized her potentially fatal mistake. Never, even were she an elf, would she be able to move from where she was before he regained his balance. She had practically gift-wrapped herself. In an instant his balance would be gotten once more and that jagged piece of metal would be coming towards her again. Any moment now.  
  
Exactly as she had expected, her attacker quickly caught his balance and lunged again, growling with fury. Despite herself, Kahli winced, waiting for the blow to come. None did. Instead there was a thud, a grunt and a rush of air going by. Then a very familiar voice.  
  
"Thought you'd have the sense to stay out of this mess, Kahli." Oror piped, scrambling off of the Man whom he had just successfully tackled. And was no longer moving. Both dwarves watched him carefully for a moment, before the older of the two reached forward and rolled the body over with a grunt, standing back to study the scene. He nodded slowly, looking up at Kahli. "Yep, what I thought. Fell on his knife. One less of them we need to worry about."  
  
The female dwarf stared for a moment or two, trembling slightly. "Thanks," she finally said, voice shaking. "I was sure that was the end of me."  
  
The response was a surprisingly cheerful one, under the circumstances. "Aw, not a chance." The other dwarf grinned at her. "You've still got awhile to go yet, I'm sure of it!" There was not a bit of doubt in the comment, and she couldn't help but take a little comfort in it. Perhaps this wasn't the truth, but that didn't mean it couldn't help her feel better. "Come on! Your pony's over here, I saw him just a bit ago." Before she could reply Oror was moving, shoving his way quickly through the tangled underbrush. She hesitated a moment before nodding resolutely and pulling her hood closer about her face, following after him. In all this mess she was anxious to see her pony again and assure herself that he, at least, was all right. Why even worry about her father? She knew he was fine. He had to be. …right? Of course he was! Setting her jaw, she pushed the thought away and kept moving.  
  
It seemed as though everything was against them today. Roots reached up from the ground to trip them, branches reached out to grab them, the thick scrub snatched at them, slowing them down. And all around there came shouts and cries of both the Men and her own people, the screams of frightened and hurt ponies. A lump grew in her throat as she dwelt on it but she forced the tears down. No. That wouldn't help now. Neither her nor her people.  
  
Up ahead, Oror had stopped, waiting for her. Swallowing hard, she quickened her pace and edged up next to him. "What's wrong?"  
  
He didn't reply, merely pointing as an answer. They had indeed come to the place where she had tied the two ponies earlier. But the peaceful scene had changed. Instead of the two ponies grazing peacefully amongst the trees, she saw two ponies—and four Men. Copp was shying from the large strangers, backing away nervously from their advances and simply refusing to be led. But it was obvious this was only succeeding in slowing them up a little and most of all, annoying them. They were quickly growing impatient and Kahli was sure her poor pony would quickly be caught and forced into submission if something wasn't done. Kazor, on the other hand, showed no intention of giving in any time soon. The powerful pony, more like a small horse in size and strength, was rearing, snapping and striking out with both fore and hind hooves. He screamed with fury and lashed out again and again, letting neither Man, nor stick, nor rope, anywhere near him. These actions managed to bring wry smiles to the young dwarves' faces. They knew well enough how terrible that beast could be when he had the mind. And he certainly was riled now.  
  
Oror watched all this for only a moment before turning to Kahli and nodding grimly. "I've got a plan," he finally announced, eyes glinting with fiery determination.  
  
"What?" Nervous energy was building and Kahli struggled to keep her voice low. "What will we do?"  
  
Taking a deep breath, he began to rattle off an explanation. "Well, first you take this, just in case." She was handed a large knife that looked oddly familiar. After a moment recognition hit her. It was a meat knife, obviously taken from someone's pack. At her skeptic expression her friend grinned. "It'll serve well enough. How do you think I took down all them great lugs I met?"  
  
"With a kitchen knife?!" Kahli hissed, absolutely shocked. "Oror, I thought you knew better than to try a stunt like—"  
  
"Shh!" Her scolding was cut off abruptly. "Do you want the rest of my plan or not?"  
  
The female dwarf rolled her eyes and sighed wearily, though she couldn't hold back an amused smile as she took the well-sharpened utensil from him. "Fine, fine. Go on."  
  
"Right then," Oror stroked his short beard thoughtfully. "I'm thinking a surprise attack." She nodded at this, encouraging him on. "This is what we'll do. I count to three, like this: One… two… three." He stopped again to make certain she was still with him. At another nod from her, he continued. "And then," once more he paused, this time to grin at her. "We ATTACK!" His final word was a shout and he leaped from the cover of the shrub, charging recklessly toward the group of Men.  
  
Kahli startled backwards at his yell, staring after him wide-eyed as he rushed forward. "A surprise attack for who?" she muttered to herself, shaking her head. Heaving a deep breath, she clutched her knife in a death grip and lunged into the fray, hollering as she went.  
  
Caught off-guard, the raiders stumbled back under the assault, assuming from all the yelling that there was more attackers than two. One went down where he stood, under Oror's blade. Another managed to back himself up to a tree, where Kahli managed to grit her teeth and get it over with. But the remaining two quickly came to their senses and rounded on the two dwarves, one unsheathing a sword and the other bringing out a long dagger. Both looked far more challenging than the one Kahli had met earlier.  
  
"Khazâd ai-mênu!" Oror shouted the battlecry fearlessly, lowering his head and charging the two thieves with his usual recklessness. They bared their teeth at him in predatorial grins, bracing themselves to the onslaught. With surprising skill the dwarf dodged a blow sent at him, switching quickly from offensive to defensive. The Man with the sword swung again and again at him, forcing him to keep his distance and giving him no chance to get within stabbing range. But it was obvious the Man had no skill with his weapon. His attacks were slow and clumsy, leaving him off-balance for a few precious seconds after each swing. A deadly mistake it was, to fight with an unfamiliar weapon. This was shown to him briefly, when Oror succeeded in faking one direction, then diving forward to implant his knife in the human's chest. Shocked, the sword-wielder staggered, swayed, and crashed to the ground.  
  
But Oror didn't get a chance to rest. Already the second had covered the ground between himself and the dwarf. He stared for a moment as his friend hit the forest floor, then whirled on the owner of knife that had caused it, fury blazing in his eyes. "You filthy rat!" The Man's face twisted as he spat the words out, like they left a bad taste in his mouth. "You filthy, hole-digging rat! I'll show you what's for!" With that he thrust his dagger at Oror, stabbing with a blind rage. Now weaponless, the dwarf sprang back to avoid the blade, the realization of his defenselessness suddenly dawning on him. This looked bad. Very bad.  
  
"Behind you!" Near the tree, bloody knife still in hand, Kahli spotted the gnarled root that stuck up from the ground and shouted a warning, breaking free of her frozen panic. A moment too late. Her friend tried to check himself, stumbled, and fell backwards, landing hard on his left arm. Despite his best efforts to hold back a cry of pain from the impact, a strangled yelp escaped and his female friend winced at the sound.  
  
"Now you'll pay for what you did to Roston, "growled the Man, feral grin pasted on his face and an almost insane gleam in his watery eyes as he rounded in on his fallen pray. He tensed, preparing himself to attack. Only to be suddenly knocked aside.  
  
Kahli landed atop the human with a grunt, the air rushing out of her lungs. A wave of dizziness washed over her and in that brief moment of fogginess she couldn't help but find the irony of the situation as she lay there, gasping for breath. Oror's battlecry, 'The Dwarves are upon you!' No, she decided as the thoughts whizzed by in her brain, it hadn't been meant quite this literally.  
  
And then, as quickly as it had slowed, time sped up again.  
  
"Kahli!" She heard a voice yelling, just as the pain in her chest flared up and she noticed a movement underneath her. With sickening abruptness, everything was happening at once.  
  
"Get off me, filth!" The Man, momentarily her captive, was screaming loudly and struggling. She felt dizzy and she couldn't breath. And despite her muscular build, her weight was nothing compared to that of the much larger man. He wouldn't be held for long.  
  
"Finish him! Hurry!" Oror was shouting at her. From the corner of her eye she caught his face, pale and strained. He was clutching his left arm.  
  
Her friend's order cut through her fogged mind and she realized she still held the bloodied knife in her hand. The knife she had used to kill that human by the tree. She had seen the sudden shock (and… fear?) in his eyes just before she had plunged the blade into his throat. Could she do it again?  
  
Her thoughts gave her captive all the time he needed to collect himself once more, and he thrashed wildly, shoving her aside and scrambling to his feet. Kahli found herself thrown to the ground once more and rolled, just managing not to fall on her own knife. The Man's eyes burned with renewed fury and he glared down at her, about to say something. He was promptly cut off by Oror. "Hey, thief! You've still a bone to pick with me!" At the dwarf's words the human obviously bristled and he whirled around to face the owner of this cocky voice, completely ignoring Kahli.  
  
"Yes, you. I'd almost forgotten." Any doubt in the two dwarves' minds about this creature's sanity were suddenly cleared. He had gone from full fury to suddenly reasonable, relaxed, gentile. But the glint in his eyes told otherwise. "Well, you filthy cave-dwelling rat? Shall we end this?" And then, as quickly as before, he became wild again, a mad grin contorting his face, eyes wide and bright. Laughing maniacally, he lunged at Oror completely weaponless, seeming prepared to strangle the dwarf to death. Frightened by his enemy's strange behavior, Oror stumbled back, still clutching his arm. Only to have the human collapse at his feet, crazed eyes glazed over and insane grin still on his face. With a meat knife sticking from his back.  
  
Kahli stared at the fallen Man, eyes wide. What had she done? Twice. She had killed someone twice. Horrified, she looked down at her own hands, almost expecting them to look different, alien. They looked the same as they did everyday. But they couldn't. She had killed. Her breath caught in her throat and she choked back a sob. No. This couldn't have happened.  
  
"Hey, Kahli?" Oror was at her side, voice strangled but concerned. "You… you all right?" She stared at him, looking as though she was about to be sick.  
  
"I… I killed them." she whispered, not quite believing it. A shiver ran through her and she bit her lip, hard. How could she not believe it? The evidence was all around her.  
  
"Look," her friend's voice was suddenly stiff and cold, forcing her to pay attention. "You've gotta let it go. It happens. You were only defending yourself. Let it go." His last words were spoken slowly and clearly, drilling into her horrified shock.  
  
"But, I—" she began to protest, but was quickly cut off again.  
  
"Kahli, you have to think. Pull it together and listen to me." He paused, waiting for her to show she was listening. Kahli sighed and nodded, trying her very best to push aside her own thoughts and pay attention. "Good. Now, we've got to get moving again as soon as possible. The city's not too far away and it's safe, but if we stay around here too long they'll be back to attack us again and finish what they started." Oror exhaled loudly, trying to hold back a shiver. "We need to get out of here. Fast. But without the ponies we'll never move fast enough."  
  
"So we need to go after them and bring them back," Kahli prompted, bobbing her head. "I thought that much. Well, let's go. The sooner the better…" She trailed off, noticing her friend was about to say something. He hesitated, dropping his gaze to the forest floor. The fact that he still held his arm tightly struck her and within a moment she understood. "And you can't come with me…"  
  
Reluctantly Oror nodded, face still pale and his breathing tight. "I would, you know I would. But I couldn't ride with my arm like this… I think it's sprained. I'd only slow you down."  
  
"No, I understand." She put a gentle hand on his shoulder and forced a weak smile. "I'll manage." Nodding resolutely, she reached back and pulled her fallen hood back up, covering her face once more. "Take care of Copp for me, will you?"  
  
"Copp?" Her friend's pained face suddenly looked startled. "If I take Copp who'll you ride?"  
  
"Kazor." Beneath her hood she smiled wryly. "He should let me now. My father said he might." Of course, the keyword here was 'might' as her father had also said, but she didn't mention that part. No need to bother with the details. "He's faster, stronger and would be the best choice to round up the others. He's smart too; I'll need that. Copp's just not as old. You take care of him." Oror stared at her as though she had suddenly gone as mad as the human.  
  
"You're not joking, are you? You're serious about this!" he choked out, his shock nearly overriding his pain.  
  
"I'm serious, all right. And I'm not waiting any longer." She was already turning, moving away. "Tell father to get going as soon as possible. I'll catch up." A bridle was snatched off a low branch where it had been hanging as she headed to where Kazor remained tied. No one had gotten close enough to untie him.  
  
"I… I will."  
  
"Good." The black stallion didn't move as she approached, even lowering his head to accept the bit and bridle. He seemed to sense something was going on. He was consenting once more.  
  
Next came the blanket and saddle, which he also bore without blinking twice. And then the weight of a smaller dwarf than he was used to. Kazor snorted and pawed the ground anxiously as the reins were taken up and Kahli smiled a little, patting his neck. "Thank you," she whispered to his flicking ears before leaning back again and straightening in the saddle. A deep breath was sucked in, released. The reins were tugged; he whirled toward the forest.  
  
"I'll watch Copp for you!" Oror called, from where he remained rooted.  
  
"Right. Thanks, Oror."  
  
"And I'll be sure to find your father."  
  
"Tell him, too."  
  
"I will. And Kahli?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Just… be careful."  
  
"You too, Oror."  
  
Kazor was nudged and he eagerly sprang forward, hooves digging into the earth as he picked up speed. Rapidly the pony and rider gained speed as they dodged in and out between trees, drawing farther and farther from the scattered camp, the cries, the shouts, the fight itself. They galloped on. 


	5. Chpt 4: Enter the Elves

They rode hard for a long time, Kahli clinging to her mount's neck in fearful desperation. The stallion seemed tireless, galloping onward with no guidance, dodging any and every obstacle with swift ease. Time sped by as quickly as the trees, losing all meaning to the pair, horse and rider. Kahli was aware only of the bunching and springing of muscles beneath her, the pounding of hooves, her heart thudding away in her chest. Nothing more seemed important enough, no thoughts could work themselves out. Everything was a blur of motion and at the very center was the rhythm that seemed to control all.  
  
After a time, be it seconds, minutes, hours, even days later, she didn't know, Kazor slowed his own pace and eased into a gentle trot. The change in what had previously seemed an endless beat managed to rouse the dwarf and for the first time since leaving, she lifted her head and looked about. They had gone far; the forest had changed drastically. No longer was it harsh, overgrown and wild. It had become lush, green, beautiful. And almost… mystical?  
  
Kahli shook herself sharply. What was she thinking? This part of the woods was no different than any other part! It had no secrets, no "mystic beauty" to it and no more birds than the rest of the forest, despite the fact that their racket had increased a hundredfold. So… why did it seem so different?  
  
Stories. Of course. She had always been fascinated with the stories told by the elder members of the caravan. And for some reason their favorite stories were ones about enchanted woods. Always about enchanted woods.  
  
"And with my wild imagination," she said out loud to herself, dispersing the silence that was suddenly so frightening, "No wonder this place seems magic." The dwarf bobbed her head in a nod. Explanations were always just the thing to make one feel better about a situation she was unsure of.  
  
"Why is it, that the word 'magic' is used when something is not understood?" In an instant, a melodic voice shredded any comfort she had managed to obtain.  
  
"Wha… er… who's there?!" Kahli managed to squeak out, halting her pony and unconsciously pulling her hood closer about her face. She sat tense in the saddle, eyes flicking about in every direction as she desperately tried to spot the owner of the strange voice.  
  
"Do dwarves always talk to themselves?" A new voice, slightly lower than the first, but with the same musical quality, piped up, this time from behind her. Instantly she whirled around, trying to spot where it came from. Still no luck.  
  
"Who… who are you?" Every bit of effort she possessed went into keeping her voice as steady as possible. She mustn't be made a fool of. For the honor of her people, she mustn't.  
  
"We should be the ones asking that, dwarf," came the reply. Kahli stifled a heavy sigh. So much for not being made a fool of.  
  
But before this thought could even finish registering, figures suddenly materialized all around her, forming a loose, yet secure circle. They simply formed, the trees' shadows taking a tangible structure, it seemed. Indeed, they almost seemed to be the very creation of nature itself. Each one was tall, impossibly so, and slim. Willowy, like tree branches, yet supple as well. All were clad in colors of the forest: greys, greens, browns. And all had like colors for eyes, as well as surprisingly straight hair. That was blond, nonetheless.  
  
She couldn't help herself. Kahli stared openly at those surrounding her, jaw hanging slack and eyes wide in amazement. Lucky thing her hood covered the complete shock that likely showed on her face. But never before had she seen people like these! Why, they were exactly the opposite of her own people. Astoundingly strange and even… dare she say it? Ugly. Well, yes. It was true. So weak they appeared, so pale and sickly. Nothing compared to the sturdy, muscular build of her own people.  
  
And then, in an instant, she understood. Elves. These were elves! She had heard tales before, whispered legends, horrors, wistful memories. So much talk of this strange race, and she remembered all she had before heard. They were exactly as she had imagined. Or at least, now that she saw them, they were. Perhaps she hadn't been able to envision with quite this detail, but they fit the descriptions. Perfectly.  
  
Thoughts were suddenly whipping by in her mind, faster than she had ever thought possible. She was seeing elves! Real, live, in person! Dangerous, strange, mysterious. And she was completely alone. As well as weaponless.  
  
Each one of them, at least five, she counted in front of her and at the sides, had bows. With arrows pointed directly at her. This suddenly didn't look so good.  
  
There was a pause; not a single member of the circle moved a muscle. And then one spoke, quietly, hesitantly. "Pedathon, Gildur?" His Elvish seemed to blend with the silence, not a bit out of place, as was everything with this People. There was only a moment's hesitation, before a reply came, equally soft.  
  
"Pedo."  
  
From the ring stepped a tall elf, slightly younger in appearance than the others, though they were all astoundingly young looking, with lighter- tinted brown hair instead of the usual pale blond. He held his head high as he stepped forward, any unsureness disappearing as he faced the dwarf with an almost cocky confidence, staring down at her with dark green eyes. The gap left behind was filled in one smooth motion as his fellows adjusted accordingly. Then once more, nothing moved. Long minutes passed and Kahli grew anxious, trying her very best not to falter under the harsh stares of those on all sides of her. Their arrows were still held at the ready and she dared not make any sudden moves.  
  
"What brings you forth, off the road and into our lands, Dwarf?" The elf directly before her asked suddenly, voice calm and smooth. Kazor tossed his mane impatiently and she gathered his reins tighter, fiddling with them as she prepared an answer.  
  
"I… I'm searching for some runaway ponies. We were attacked on the road and need to leave swiftly, else another attack comes…" She struggled to keep her voice even, to hold back the tremor of fear that threatened to enter it. So many tales told of the elves. They were dangerous.  
  
"Then why do you not move on and leave your beasts of burden behind? If you are indeed in so great a hurry as you suggest," the speaker shot back, not missing a beat. If she didn't know any better, she'd think he was getting some sort of amusement out of interrogating her like this. Her jaw set angrily.  
  
"Without those ponies there is no way be can move at all, let alone quickly!" Kahli snapped, very tempted to add some extra comments. Most of which would be rather rude, at the moment. She refrained from saying such things and instead continued, "Our caravan contains many valuable things. They are our livelihood. If we are forced to leave them behind, as we would have to do if our ponies were not retrieved, we would all starve!" Fear was momentarily forgotten and she muttered an addition to this under her breath, "What would you know of our ways, anyway?"  
  
There was a long silence as the elves gazed at her with terrifyingly piercing stares. She couldn't help but feel that they could somehow see past her hood and had seen both the fear and the anger on her face. It seemed to her they heard every slight shake in her voice, every unsure pause, every murmured comment. They somehow knew all and were judging her.  
  
So these were elves. Strange creatures, one with everything, knowing everything, intense and watchful. They were silent, mocking, infuriating, prying… But what of the other part she had heard of? Tales of how dangerous these People were had been told, but in equal abundance, tales of their over-cheerfulness had been told of as well. Although, Kahli thought to herself, those tales were from long ago. Back when the world was far younger and the Men weren't multiplying as rapidly and the Elves were the dominant race. Before the famed War of the Ring, before even the esteemed Thorin, the Heir of Durin, had gone to seek out his fortune, stolen by the dread dragon Smaug. Now the race of Elves was diminishing and, she supposed, had less to be merry about. Though that was perhaps the only thing she had ever really wanted to see about this strange race, their merriment. She certainly wasn't seeing it now.  
  
Fond they seemed of silence and long pauses. Acting and speaking slowly, like they had all the time in the world. Perhaps they did. She wouldn't put it passed them; they seemed like they were capable of just about everything, despite their far from sturdy appearance.  
  
They stared at her, no fewer than seven pairs of eyes trained on her. No less than sever bows. She trembled, despite herself. Unnerving it was. Even her father wouldn't be able to hold under such pressure, she thought to herself, and he was very strong, to be sure.  
  
Kazor whiffed impatiently and tossed his head a little, pawing the ground. He peered at the elves from under his heavy forelock and flicked his ears irritably, chomping the bit. Rather than think about how many of her people's worst enemies were surrounding her, staring, she focused on the edgy pony, shifting her weight a little and trying to keep him from picking up her nervousness. That wouldn't help things any, his getting even more anxious.  
  
Finally the first elf, the one she guessed to be the leader of the group, spoke. His voice was low and quiet; she could barely catch the words. And even then, she could understand not a word of it. But it seemed to have been an order, as two more elves stepped forward and took places next to the younger-looking elf. Then, in the blink of an eye, the others disappeared, leaving not a trace that they were ever there.  
  
Kahli found herself staring into the depths of the forest after them, trying fruitlessly to figure out where the many elves had suddenly gone. Not into thin air, of course. But then… where? She shifted nervously in the saddle as a thought surfaced above the others. Maybe her father was wrong. Maybe it was possible to disappear into thin air. These were elves, after all. Who knew?  
  
And then she was jerked back to the present. Where three elves remained, watching her closely with eyes that reminded her strangely of those deep, mysterious lakes they sometimes passed. Lakes that always seemed to be hiding something. Shaking herself once more, she addressed them as bravely as possible.  
  
"Uh… can I help you?" Her voice trembled and her choice of words was pathetic. Silently, she cursed herself. Get a grip! Was this the best she could do?  
  
"A better question might be, how might we help you?" Replied the darker- haired elf, corners of his mouth turning up to suggest some sort of amusement. At her, probably, she thought in annoyance before pushing it back once more.  
  
"Help me? Why would you want to do that?"  
  
"You said you were seeking out your ponies. We are here to assist you."  
  
Oh, well, that wasn't so bad. All they wanted to do was help, after all. And it might get the job done twice as fast if they were along. Four pairs of eyes, experienced hunters and she had heard that these elves were expert trackers as well. That might come in usefu—  
  
Hold it.  
  
Kahli checked her thoughts abruptly. What on Middle-earth was she thinking?! These were elves she was talking about! Not another clan of dwarves, not the long-time friends of her people, the ravens, not even Men! Elves were the enemy! They were crafty, dangerous, unable to be trusted. Or so she had been told… But the elders were wise! They would know far better than she would, of course. She was young, very young. How was she to know the ways of other races? Yes, better to listen to the words of those far older and far more experienced. Not matter how wrong they seemed at the moment.  
  
"Thank you, but no. I need no assistance," she responded to the offer, as politely as possible.  
  
"It would be wise to accept, Dwarf." One of the lighter-haired elves spoke up, tone far more demanding than the first's. He spat the word 'dwarf' out like it was something incredibly foul.  
  
Kahli's dark eyebrows rose beneath her hood. "Oh would I?" She snapped in return, not liking this one at all.  
  
"We are not going to allow one of you roaming around our forest unsuper—" The unfriendly elf was cut off by the first with a sharp hand motion.  
  
"Hold your tongue, Borran." He ordered harshly, dark green eyes narrowing at the other. "No one ask your opinion on the matter." At this, the one called Borran glowered angrily, bowing his head and taking a step back.  
  
"As you wish, Teiledh." Any unpleasantness in this went ignored.  
  
"Now," The first turned back to face her, face almost stressfully serious. "I apologize for Borran's rudeness, although he is indeed correct. I was hoping not to…" He trailed off for a moment, as if searching for the right words. This surprised Kahli notably. Weren't elves supposed to be extremely good at this sort of thing?  
  
"Not to tell me?" She supplied, slightly insulted at the lack of being told straight-out. "So I'm not allowed to pass without a guard, then? You should have just said so."  
  
"I should have…" Teiledh stared at her, the important ring in his voice suddenly lost. In a jolt of shock and more than a little amusement, Kahli noted that he seemed almost flustered. Or as close to it as an elf could get. His strangely smooth, straight jaw set firmly and looked as though he was trying to regain his composure. She managed to catch a quick grin from the elf on his right, though it was quickly covered up and he moved forward a little, offering support. Seemed those two were friends. Just the same, she wasn't about to let him catch himself and keep bashing on her. Before his friend's backup presence could help, she spoke up.  
  
"Look, I'm wasting time. Are you three going to guard me, or what?" A tiny grin was forming on her face and now more than ever she loved her hooded cloak. Her hands shifted a little on Kazor's reins and the black pony tensed beneath her, ready to move off at the slightest command.  
  
But the elf managed to collect himself quicker than she had expected, attitude and all. "The offer still stands," he lifted his shoulders as he spoke, standing up straighter and doing his little importance act again. "Would you prefer guards or help?"  
  
Oh. So elves were a little better at this than she had assumed. He had her there. She paused, trying frantically to think up a witty reply. None came. Instead, she decided rather bravely, she wouldn't reply at all. Let him come back from that.  
  
With a soft cluck to her pony, who whirled about and started off into the woods eagerly, Kahli rode off to resume her search. If they wanted to guard her so badly they could just catch her, she thought as she leaned over Kazor's black mane, leaving the three elves far behind.  
  
Or so she thought. 


	6. Chpt 5: Mission: Accomplished

Kahli hummed to herself as she trotted along, the leather saddle squeaking pleasantly beneath her and her pony's hoofbeats keeping time with the little traveling song. Cheerful didn't begin to describe her mood at the moment. No sign of those elves, her "guards" at all. But there were plenty of signs left by the ponies she was hunting for. It seemed, luckily enough, that they hadn't gone far at all. Or she had managed to cover quite a bit of ground after them. Either way, things were going quite nicely.  
  
"Whoa," she muttered to her mount suddenly, catching something from the corner of her eye. A gentle tug on the reins and Kazor was halted. The dwarf dismounted and dropped to the ground, calloused fingers traveling lightly over the ground. More specifically, the packed ground. "Well, well," Kahli chuckled to herself, pressing a finger into a particularly clear print. "Looks like they were headed…" Standing, she strode back over to her pony and swung up into the saddle once more. "That way. Not long ago, either. If we hurry, we might be able to catch them!"  
  
Heels were tapped against the black pony's sides and again they were off, this time a faster pace than before. For all the world it looked promising. Even Kazor seemed to feel that way, as his ears were straight forward and he strained against his rider's hand, eager to go faster. And faster they went, every so often pausing for a second or two to check a freshly broken branch, a trampled patch of grass, a telltale set of hoofprints.  
  
By now Kahli wasn't even bothering to keep her excitement in check. So certain was she that any moment now they would come across the band of runaway ponies, her humming had evolved to a rather loud and merry song. Her father likely wouldn't have appreciated her singing the words to the old mining tune, but she sang it just the same, in too good a mood to care. Any minute now, she was sure. Just beyond this clump of trees, perhaps. Or in this clearing. Maybe inside that thicket.  
  
And then, just as she was rounding a large boulder, she saw it. The very sight was enough to make her laugh out loud.  
  
Exactly as she had suspected, there was a group of ponies huddled and looking awfully forlorn. They were of every color, shape, size. Some wore bridles or saddles, some nothing at all. It all depended on what stage their owner had been at when the attack had come.  
  
As Kazor approached he let out a shrill whinny to his fellows and immediately several heads lifted, ears pricking up at the sound. At this Kahli laughed again, nudging her mount into the midst of the milling ponies and identifying each and every one she laid eyes on with relief.  
  
"There's Smige, the tricky bugger. And Meah! Over there's Dval, Gormon's old nag," she busily ticked them off in her mind, each one bringing back a pleasantly familiar memory.  
  
"See there Teiledh," A voice suddenly spoke, the sound seeming to come from, odd as it seemed, somewhere above. "I told you dwarves talk to themselves."  
  
Quick as that, Kahli felt her cheerfulness vanish. Oh no. Not again.  
  
There was a merry laugh, the sound amazingly like a brook bubbling down a mountainside. "So Dwarf, are these the ponies you were searching for?"  
  
She tensed, eyes widening, and faught back an annoyed groan. It would seem she hadn't lost them after all, like it had seemed. Worse, it seemed her quick finding of the runaways had been helped along a little. By them. What would her father say?  
  
"Uh, yes, thank you." Kahli mumbled, shifting uncomfortably in the saddle. "I'll just take them and get going now. Out of your forest and all that…" She nudged Kazor and the pony turned. Only to be blocked by an annoyingly familiar, tall, dark-haired elf. Forest-green eyes stared directly into the darkness of her hood as if the owner could see beyond it, to her face. He smiled a little.  
  
"I ask again. Would you prefer guards or help?"  
  
"But I'm getting out on my own…"  
  
"It is a rule, which we cannot break," spoke up another voice as its owner suddenly moved forward from the shadows of the wood. "You must be escorted until you are out of our relm. Besides, we are willing to help you keep your animals together."  
  
A third voice, tone distinctly colder than the first two, added, "Like we said earlier, the choice is yours."  
  
Well, at least they're being polite about it, Kahli thought to herself with a mental sigh. But the day was almost over and she was anxious to get back. While she was more than capable of surviving a night alone, it wasn't the most thrilling idea in the world. And here she had help, which would not only make her return easier, but a lot faster as well. Especially seeing as she had managed to get herself completely lost.  
  
"Fine," she replied finally, barely able to believe that she was giving in. A dwarf being helped by a bunch of elves. It was laughable. Just like most of the situations she managed to get herself into. Woe be her. "But only to the road," was added quickly, once she realized there might be a chance to save some self-esteem. "Once I'm near the road you lot clear off and let me be. Deal?"  
  
Quiet laughter came again, and although she wanted to feel annoyed by it, she couldn't. "We agree to this. Once near the road we shall leave you."  
  
"Good then!" Kahli straightened up. "Let's get going. My camp shouldn't be too far away. I'd like to get back before nightfall, if possible."  
  
"Indeed possible." The one called Teiledh nodded. "Borran scouted ahead earlier. We can make it to your camp before dark if he leads." Nodding, the pale-haired elf with the cold attitude stepped back into the shadows. Something no longer in Common was spoken between the remaining two and a moment later the ponies were gathered into a tight group and trotting forward, driven between the elves. Kahli stared after them stupidly for a minute or two before she managed to get her brain working. Trying to maintain some amount of dignity she straightened in the saddled and gave her pony a nudge.  
  
  
  
()()()()()()()()()()()  
  
  
  
With the three elves in their repspective positions, leading and hearding on two sides, Kahli was left with the task of riding behind and keeping track of stragglers. Which, all in all, wasn't so bad. For once the herd was too tired to cause much trouble and all of them had a fairly simple job. And even better, despite the weariness of the animals they managed to keep up a good pace. The hoofbeats of the band of ponies seemed almost to keep plodding time to the songs of the elves. Magic of some sort, perhaps? Well, elves were known for such things. It wouldn't hurt anything to think that was it.  
  
Time drew on.  
  
The elf she recognized as Teiledh dropped back and instead walked quickly beside Kazor. He didn't say a word, and the dwarf grew curious.  
  
"Something wrong?" Kahli asked gruffly, trying not to sound concerned. If anything it was the grave seriousness on the other's face that worried her. As if he was in deep thought.  
  
"Orcs spotted ahead," he replied after a slight pause. "Not too many from the looks of it, but worth noting anyway. Better to know of their presence before they know of ours."  
  
"Can't we go around them?" Now seriously trying to hide her worry, she halted Kazor so she could talk face to face. The elf stopped as well, a tight expression on his face.  
  
"We shall," Teiledh replied nodding, "but that guarantees nothing. If it were just us and not all the animals we would have a better chance of going unnoticed. With them along…"  
  
"So we may have to fight?" This time she managed to fail hiding the tint of fear in her voice miserably. He didn't seem to notice; in fact, he seemed almost nervous as well. Which didn't make her feel much better.  
  
"Exactly. So here," a hand flashed behind the elf and a moment later he was holding an object out to her. "Take this. In case you need to protect yourself."  
  
"What the—" Surprised, Kahli reached out to take what was offered. It was a long slim knife, a bright blade that looked extremely sharp, and a simple yet beautiful wooden handle. An elvish blade. A dwarf wielding an elvish blade?! "But I can't… I mean, it's… you can't…"  
  
"Just until you are safely returned to your people," came the reply, accompanied by soft musical laughter. "No one will have to know."  
  
"But…" She looked down at the knife, eyeing it carefully. Had it only been this morning she had held another weapon of this kind? When she had killed with it… But it had been self-defense! They had attacked her. So did that make it right? Or at least okay?  
  
The dwarf sighed, nodded reluctantly, and tucked the blade into her belt, beneath the folds of her dark cloak. "Fine. I'll take it."  
  
"Good." Teiledh smiled a little, though the expression was tense. "Stay alert. If anything happens gather your animals and drive them straight. In that direction," he pointed with a long slender finger in the direction opposite the sinking sun. "Whatever you do, do not change the course. You will miss the road completely."  
  
Kahli's eyes followed the direction he pointed in and she started to reply. Only to find him gone from her side and once again driving the ponies forward on foot, now jogging easily alongside to keep up with their quickened speed. Her stomach clenched. The news wouldn't have normally bothered her; reports of orcs were common in her lifestyle. She had survived several of the foul creatures' attacks before, as well. But the fact that the elves seemed out of sorts bothered her. It wasn't hard to tell they were keeping something from her. The question was, what?  
  
Grumbling to cover her fear, she dug her heels into her mount's sides and the black pony sprang forward eagerly to cover the considerable gap that had grown between himself and his fellows. His unusually long strides managed to cross the space swiftly and they soon had taken up their position again, cutting off any members of the herd who decided to lag behind.  
  
The two elves driving the ponies from the sides seemed to be hurrying, urging them forward with greater speed. Faster, faster. Maybe they'd make it out of this okay. If they went fast enough they could make it around. They might even get lucky and find that the danger gone. Right? It couldn't happen, couldn't it?  
  
As if to prove her dead wrong, there came a shout from up ahead. One word that was, although obviously not in Common, dreadfully familiar-sounding. Yrch.  
  
What had once been a peaceful forest at dusk was suddenly little better than the scene she had only that morning left behind. More shouts where following the first, some the melodic language of the elves although this was nearly drown out by the rest; hideous shrieking, growling and snarling echoed through the trees. Something was happening up ahead, but Kahli couldn't see what, save dark shapes of some sort. But what was going on up there suddenly became insignificant, as things enough were happening where she was.  
  
Kazor was suddenly edgy, tensed beneath her. He shifted sharply to one side, danced a little in place with ears twitching and head high, then side- stepped again, nearly throwing her off. Startled, Kahli gripped his reins tighter, trying to keep him still long enough for her to figure out what was wrong. A quick glance about showed that all the ponies, having since halted their march, were acting the same.  
  
Suddenly a black, wailing creature broke through the underbrush, a crudely- made sword waving. Several more followed, snarling in some gutteral langauge. They were terrible creatures, features twisted and grotesque, like living corpses. The very sight of them made Kahli sick and she had to fight back a frightened cry as they lunged. Her pony seemed to have similar feelings and he shrilled loudly, rearing up as an attacker came from the front. Sharp hooves connected neatly with the orc's skull and one was taken care of.  
  
Unfortunately this served only to madden the others further and suddenly they attacked as one, a surprisingly well-organized assult. Near panicked, Kahli reacted more from instinct than any other reason, grabbing the elven knife from her belt and slashing away at anything that got too close. Likewise Kazor was snorting and bucking, doing a nice job of keeping the worst of the attack down but giving his rider a more difficult job of staying seated. All in all though, odds would have been decently in the pair's favor, had curcumstances been different earlier. As it was now, both were near exhausted from the day's activities. They couldn't hold back their enemies for much longer.  
  
A gurgling howl sounded from somewhere behind and before Kahli could whirl her pony about, something had latched onto her back. The orc slung an arm around her neck and hung on, croaking away in its foul language as it tried to swing its heavy sword up from the akward position it was in. Its job was made harder by the fact that the pony it was upon had gone into a complete panicked frenzy right along with his rider and both were trying desperately to shake him off. But this ended up failing miserably and the orc opted to simply knock the dwarf off her mount instead.  
  
Too busy trying to shake the hideous creature off, Kahli didn't think to focus on her balance and when the orc swung sharply to the left she went with. She landed with a grunt and tried rolling to the side so she might have a better angle to attack. Only to find her left arm pinned beneath her and her right pinned by the fell being itself.  
  
It grinned terribly at her, baring foul yellow teeth, as it barked out some orders to its fellows who promptly went about the business of trying to capture the now frenzied Kazor. The pony was putting up a grand fight, keeping himself clear of the horrible beings. He was doing exactly what Kahli herself couldn't do. Fight back.  
  
"Kill…" Hissed the orc she was trapped by, yellow eyes glinting with malace. It hefted its blunt weapon to behead her—and promply found itself knocked to the side, a slim grey arrow through its skull.  
  
"Are you hurt?" Before she could figure out what had just happened, Kahli was staring into the forest-green eyes of an elf. Surprisingly enough there was concern on his face as he looked her over, still tangled in her dark cloak.  
  
"I… I'm fine," she managed to grunt gruffly, untangling herself and sitting up. "Just surprised, is all." A hand reached back to pull her hood, which had fallen off, back up.  
  
"Good. Then you should be able to ride swiftly." Teiledh offered a hand, which was promptly ignored, as she scrambled to her sturdy feet and looked about. The elf named Borran, the rather sour one, had somehow captured and calmed her pony and was now leading him toward her, stepping lightly around the bodies of the orcs that, moments ago, had been full of evil energy. They now all had arrows through some vital part of their hideous bodies. "There are more of the enemy about, so you must go. Now."  
  
"Won't they just follow?" Kahli managed to blurt out, staring at the elf. Where he had once seemed like an unsure leader-in-training, he now seemed cool, confident and most of all, serious.  
  
"No, they will not. We are going to stay behind and take care of them." For a moment, the dwarf was touched by this and was about to say so, perhaps a small thank-you for all that they had done to help. Before she caught herself and instead nodded shortly. "They are a danger to our people, as well. Trespassers are usually not kindly looked upon," Teiledh added. While his face remained emotionless, his eyes gave way to the humor of this last statement and not for the first time Kahli was thankful for her hood, covering the grin that broke out.  
  
"You had best ride swiftly now, Dwarf. Else they will catch you," spoke up Borran. He handed over Kazor's reins with a pained look on his face.  
  
"Yes," Kahli agreed slowly, ignoring the elf's obvious dislike for her. She looped the reins over her pony's neck, preparing to mount up. Before she did, a hand found its way in front of her.  
  
"Be safe," was all that Teiledh said, his voice so soft she could barely make out the words. She hesitated only briefly before reaching forward and taking the elf's smooth, long-fingered hand in her own smaller, callouse one. The handshake lasted only a few seconds, though it meant more, much more. Then she had moved away and climbed onto her pony's back reining him away towards the herd.  
  
  
  
()()()()()()()()()  
  
  
  
Again she was riding hard, leaning over Kazor's dark mane. But now there were several differences, the most significant one that the entire group of runaways were being driven ahead. And this time she was headed straight, galloping with all the speed she could manage to push the herd, away from the rapidly setting sun.  
  
Almost there. Almost there. Almost there.  
  
The very hoofbeats seemed to pound out the same words over and over. Kahli didn't bother thinking beyond this; the only thoughts that came to her were terrible ones of what she might find when she returned. Had her people managed to beat back the intruders? They had to have. She wouldn't allow herself to think otherwise.  
  
So busy thinking about not thinking, Kahli almost didn't catch the shout up ahead. Luckily Kazor caught it and his pace slowed, his ears pricking up. Curious as to the cause of his slowing, his rider looked up to see a familiar pony coming towards them. Riding that pony was an even more familiar dwarf, his one arm bound up in a sling.  
  
"Oror!" She nearly choked on her own words in her excitement. "Oror, you're okay!"  
  
The other rider chuckled as he pulled up next to her. "Well, I've been better. But I could be worse, yeah." His gaze moved to take in the ponies, which were now being gathered by others she had managed to overlook. "So you've done it, then. Some thought you couldn't, but your dad an' me told 'em different. We weren't sure how long it'd take you, but we knew you'd manage one way or another. Didn't take half as long as we guessed, though."  
  
Kahli laughed tiredly at this. "I guess you could say I… had a little help in the task. Maybe more than a little."  
  
"Oh really?" Oror raised a bushy eyebrow curiously. "You'll have to tell us about it. Sounds interesting."  
  
"It's interesting all right," she grinned, then yawned wide enough to crack her jaw. "And I'll be glad to tell you about it. Tomorrow." Her best friend laughed and nodded.  
  
"Sounds right to me. Just as long as you're back, that's all that matters. I think Copp here was worried about you." The young pony seemed to perk up at the mention of his name, tossing his head. His rider smiled, then reluctantly looked back at Kahli, seeming embarrased. "I guess I was kinda worried too… Only kinda, though. I knew you'd be all right."  
  
By then they had reached the camp, and both halted, suddenly shy and silent. Finally Kahli glanced back up, an exhausted smile breaking out across her face. "It's good to be back Oror," she sighed contentedly. For a brief moment she looked back the way they had come, eyes searching the now darkened forest. Then she seemed to shrug on something and turn back towards her friend. "And you know what? I sorta have the feeling we won't need to worry about thieves again while we're in this neck of the woods."  
  
She received a completely blank look from her friend at this. Laughing quietly she dismounted and began to lead Kazor into the camp. "I'll explain tomorrow. For now I'm getting this brute settled and going straight to bed."  
  
Oror watched after her for a moment, shook his head and grinned. "Strange one, her," he mumbled to himself. "But I don't think I'd have it any other way."  
  
And with that he swung Copp around with his remaining good arm, trotting off to help sort out the returned ponies.  
  
  
  
()()()()()()()()  
  
  
  
EPILOUGE  
  
  
  
Kahli woke the next morning to find things relatively back to normal after the attack. Life went on with its usual repetitiveness and complete lack of even near-adventures. Nalhi's caravan arrived at the city, surprisingly enough, a day early. While Kazor continued to be at least managible, his tameness seemed to wear off almost immediately after Kahli completed her little mission and he still managed to be obnoxious when he set his mind to it. Oror and Kahli remained the closest of friends, and he was, in fact, the only one aside from her father to hear in full detail the happenings of that day.  
  
After the death of Nahli many years later, his daughter was voted into the leadership position and there she stayed her entire lifetime. Never did she marry, as some dwarf-women choose, and never did she again have any sort of contact with elves. But among the wealth and beauty she carried among the caravan's treasures, nothing was so coveted by her as a strange knife that always hung on her belt. And while all her companions gathered around the campfire to tell stories about the strange race of elves, she would sit off by herself and stare into the woods, thinking. 


End file.
